A ‘lucky’ penny which saved the life of a Derbyshire First World War soldier is to go under the hammer.

Private John Trickett kept the penny made in 1889 in the breast pocket of his soldier’s uniform as a reminder of life at home.

Private John Trickett. Picture: Hansons Auctioneers.

During the dreadful conflict which claimed 10 million soldiers’ lives, including those of his two brothers, the coin took the full impact of a German bullet, brutally bending under the force but ultimately deflecting the danger as it ricocheted up through his nose and went out through the back of his ear. It left him deaf and disabled but still alive.

The dented penny, which displays the bullet’s deep mark of penetration, has been found by Derbyshire’s Hansons Auctioneers’ militaria expert Adrian Stevenson.

Mr Stevenson said: “It looks to me like a pistol bullet hit the penny at close range. I’ve come across many stories of random objects saving soldiers’ lives but I’ve never seen anything like this before.

“Soldiers used to keep objects in their breast pockets in an attempt to protect themselves from enemy fire and explosions. Shrapnel was the biggest killer in wartime.

The penny which saved Private Trickett's life. Picture: Hansons.

“It’s likely John Trickett kept the penny there on purpose.

“He was honourably discharged from the Northamptonshire Regiment on September 7, 1918, shortly before the 1914-18 war ended.

“The penny is a poignant reminder of the fine line between life and death, particularly in wartime.”